The surgical correction of astigmatism has become a common part of cataract surgery. Astigmatic intraocular lenses (IOL) and limbal relaxing incisions (LRI) are the most common methods used in conjunction with cataract surgery to correct the astigmatic error. Before the astigmatic error can be surgically corrected, the surgeon or assistant must mark the cornea to designate the horizontal and vertical axis, or preferably, the astigmatic axis, while the patient is sitting, since the patient's eye rotates slightly when the patient is lying down. Marking the cornea using the corneal light reflex and a gravity assisted astigmatic marker has been described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/072,758, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Because most of the ophthalmic instrumentation for measuring the astigmatic error uses the light reflex, there are theoretical benefits to using the corneal light reflex to mark the cornea for the correction of the astigmatic error.
Using the corneal light reflex to mark the cornea, however presents several challenges. The light reflex on the cornea is actually quite small and dim. Consequently, it can be difficult for the surgeon or assistant to see it. This problem may be exacerbated if the surgeon is presbyopic. One known solution to this problem was recently developed by Mastel Precision out of South Dakota. The solution includes attaching a fixation light to a surgical magnifier worn by the surgeon. The fixation light facilitates marking the cornea when used with the gravity assisted astigmatic marker. Additionally, this solution frees the surgeon's hands so that an assistant is not needed to hold the patient's eyelids when the marks are being made.